10 Simple Ways to Get Your Home Ready to Sell

Wed 10 Feb 2016

So you’ve made the decision that you’re ready to sell your home? What’s next? Preparing your home for viewers (otherwise known as “staging”) is really important: firstly to ensure that your home sells as quickly as possible, but secondly, with simple steps you can potentially add thousands of pounds to the selling price.

Top tip to get your home ready to sell

1) Declutter

If you’re ready to sell your home think about what you’d look for in a property. Viewers need to be able to envisage their possessions in your space. Make it easy for them. Declutter as much as you can, either by tidying things away in storage or asking a friend or neighbour to look after. It’s important to try and keep some of your personality, though – people buy from people and more often than not, buy a perception of lifestyle that comes with the property they are viewing – that means keeping the photo frames out!

2) Add a fresh lick of paint

Give walls a fresh lick of light, neutral paint. Bright colours or bold wallpaper may not be to everyone’s taste plus they can close a room in. Keep it plain and simple. It’s amazing what light walls can do to give the perception of space. From a buyers’ perspective it’s also seen as an easy move if decorating doesn’t have to be carried out immediately.

3) Make minor repairs

Cracked tiles, broken door knobs, threadbare carpets? Make it easier to sell your home by doing the quick repairs for the buyer before they visit the property. A house that doesn’t have a million and one DIY tasks needed is an attractive sale. Give your home a spring clean too. It’s amazing what removing mould and limescale can do to refresh a bathroom.

4) Tidy your garden

Outdoor space is incredibly attractive to buyers but not if it looks like a completely unmanageable task – not everyone has green fingers! Cut any bushes and trees back, clean your patio and any patio furniture and pop a few fresh plants in pots. Got grass? If your garden is a bit of a jungle, make sure it’s been cut before any viewings.

5) Update your kitchen

Often seen as the heart of a home, the kitchen is an incredibly valuable room. If you have budget, consider updating unit doors and worktops. Declutter any work surfaces and wash and put away any dirty plates, pots and pans!

6) Add wall mirrors

Wall mirrors are a clever way of adding a perception of light and space. Consider adding them to small rooms and hallways to make rooms look bigger.

7) Light up dark corners

Lots of nooks and crannies in your home? Placing lamps in dark corners can really bring a room to life and alleviate any concerns about lack of space. Our top tip? BHS offer some great lighting solutions that aren’t too pricey.

8) Light a fire (if you have one!)

Viewers aren’t just buying a house, they’re buying a house they can make a home. When you’re ready to sell your home, welcome viewers as guests. Bookings for viewings on a chilly day? Light your fire if you have one. It’s amazing what a difference an open log fire can do to make a room feel warm and inviting.

9) Dress your windows

It might sound trivial but making sure your windows have curtains and ensuring they’re either drawn or pulled back with ties can reassure the viewer that the owner takes pride in their property. Bare windows can make a room impersonal and feel run down. You don’t have to invest in the most expensive pair of curtains on the high street but finishing touches can make a great impression. Ikea and Dunelm offer some great choices of curtains that won’t break the bank.

10)Allure the senses

When you live in your home day in day out you might not notice homely smells but visitors to the property will. Air your home before any viewings, empty bins, wash bed sheets and open windows. If you’re a smoker, placing bowls of vinegar around the home 2-3 days before a viewing should absorb the smell. Ready to sell your home? Brew a pot of coffee or have something baking in the oven. It sounds cliché but it really does work to help give a property a lasting impression.

Ready to sell your home? Get in touch with the team at Open Estates. We’d love to see how we can help. 020 8819 3414.